HC Deb 22 April 1887 vol 313 cc1621-3
MR. GEDGE (Stockport)

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies, Whether, in view of the fact that in order to secure the neutrality of the Government of Ceylon in matters of religion, the Church of England in that Island has been recently disestablished, and all grants of public money withdrawn from it, his attention has been called to the following occurrence, as reported in La Mission Catholique of Lyons, of the 18th February last, namely— That certain Delegates so not by the Pope of Rome to Ceylon to announce that British India and Ceylon had been divided into Roman Catholic Dioceses, were conveyed to the shore at Colombo, in the Governor's State barge, with the Standard of the Pope flying at the prow, and the British Flag at the stern; that an Aide-de-camp welcomed the Delegates on the Governor's behalf, and that the band of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders received them with musical honours at the Roman Catholic Cathedral of St. Lucia; whether this official recognition of the Papal Delegates has the approval of Her Majesty's Government; and, if not, what steps will be taken to signify their disapprobation to the Governor and to prevent similar acts in future; whether he is aware that the present Government of Ceylon has renewed a practice (long since discontinued) of paying large sums of money for the repair of Buddhist Temples, e.g. (as appears in The Colombo Gazette of 10th December, 1886) Rs. 1940 for repairs to Mihintale Dagoba, and Rs. 1300 for repairs to Abhayagirige Dagoba, the money thus expended being taken from taxes which are partly paid by Christians; and also that, at the State reception of the present Governor, in Kandy, the blessing is publicly invoked by Buddhist priests; and, whether these endowments and encouragements of native religion have the approval of Her Majesty's Government; and, if not, whether steps will be taken to prevent their recurrence?

THE SECRETARY OF STATE (Sir HENRY HOLLAND) (Hampstead)

The contributions in aid of the Church of England in Ceylon ceased, except to existing incumbents, from the 1st of July last. I have not any knowledge of the respect alleged to have been shown by the Governor to the Roman Catholic dignitaries; but their loyal prayers for the Queen were reported in an official despatch. In The Ceylon Observer of January 8, 1887, there is an account of the doings at St. Lucia's Cathedral; but no mention is made of the military band which is alleged to have "received them with musical honours." I have not had my attention drawn to the facts alleged by La Mission Catholique of Lyons. Consequently, I have not expressed any opinion on the alleged action of the Governor, nor do I see, at present, that a case has arisen for any interference. My Predecessor in Office approved the expenditure on the second Dagoba mentioned in the Question for purely archaeological reasons; and I have just received the Supplementary Appropriation Ordinance, which includes the sum expended on the firs Dagoba for the same reason. The Governor states that he was advised that delay would probably render1 its ruin inevitable, or only to be averted at great expense, and that the sums expended in each case are only a portion of the cost of the repairs—apparently one-half—the remainder being repaid from private funds. I do not see any good ground for taking a different view from that of my Predecessor, so far as these two cases are concerned. I have received no Report or representations on this subject; but I have seen it stated in a Ceylon newspaper—The Observer of February 15, page 158—that Sir Arthur Gordon had said in the Legislative Council that— There had been no religious rite in the ceremony at Badulla (which would seem to have been the occasion referred to), and that when good wishes were offered to him by any portion of Her Majesty's subjects, he should accept them with satisfaction. I see no reason to apprehend that Sir Arthur Gordon has departed from the publicly declared policy of Her Majesty's late Government of adhering strictly in Ceylon, as elsewhere, to the principles of religious equality, and that every consideration possible should be shown to the feelings of all denominations in the Island, whether Christian or otherwise. I would add that I will ask Sir Arthur Gordon for a Report as to any further points upon which the hon. Member desires information.